Small changes on your plate, can make a huge difference in your results!

People are often interested in what I eat when I go to a restaurant and what I would recommend eating for a night out. If you take me out to dinner, you will rarely see me order a salad. And this why:

1) I feel I can make a better salad for one quarter of the price.

2) I eat salad pretty much every day, so why would I order it out?

3) Salads are wolves in sheep’s clothing when it comes to reaching your fitness goals.

Unless you have run a marathon, had one of the most intense weight lifting sessions of your life, or possibly have been in labour for 24 hours, you might want to skip those calorie-packed salads at your favourite restaurant. Um, it’s a salad, I bet you’re thinking. How bad can it be?

Well, let’s talk about one of my favourite restaurants (which will remain nameless).

This salad starts off with a lovely romaine lettuce and then is topped with the following:

corn

dates

beans

cajun-spiced chicken

avocado

feta

tortilla strips on top

and a peanut-lime dressing.

This delicious salad (and it is delicious) comes in at 880 calories.

Sugar=23 grams

Carbs=73 grams

Sodium=2,100 grams!!!!

Pair that salad with two glasses of wine, and you’re well on your way to your daily caloric intake.

So what does a girl do if the salads are packed full of calories?

You have a couple of options. You can order a lame greens and lean protein salad, or…order real food!!!!

Some of my favourite options on a restaurant menu are chicken or fish tacos. Coming in at 400 calories, 23 grams of carbs, and 4 grams of sugar, these guys blow our previous salad option out of the water.

You can also lower the calories by asking for no extra sauce.

Another great option is salmon or steelhead trout, coming in at 500 calories, served with rice and a vegetable option.

Need more protein? Order that steak! Steaks range from 350 to 550 calories. They are packed full of protein, so they’re a great option for your post-workout date. Make sure to skip the sauce, though, because otherwise you’ll be looking at a healthy 300-400 calories extra boom!

Ladies, next time you’re out, skip the salad section of the menu and go for the good stuff!

When your training gets intense or you’re trying to achieve a physical goal, the weekends can throw you right off course. Fridays through Sundays are filled with BBQs, sipping drinks by the pool, and late night treats. When you don’t plan properly for the weekend, you can end up throwing all your hard work out the window with days of poor eating and lounging.

Maintaining a social life and enjoying life is one of the most important things for me. I bust my butt five to six days a week in training, and I need to enjoy myself on the weekend. So what I do is plan! Failing to plan is planning to fail.

Pick one weekend day that is going to be your higher carb day, and also include a cheat meal on this day. Whether the “cheat” is drinking wine, enjoying large amounts of dessert, or eating your favourite pasta, pick one meal where you eat whatever you want. The next day, get right back on track with your goals. A treat is not a whole weekend of eating or drinking whatever you want.

Remind yourself that you’re working towards a goal and that it’s not worth flushing all the hard work down the drain. If you’re willing to achieve your physical goals at a slower rate, you can add an extra treat meal. Keep your carbs lower on your second treat day and then splurge at the treat meal. I love having a day with my friends to enjoy food and a couple drinks, but I also love to find a romantic spot with Troy and relax with some vino. So on my second night out, I chose a healthy food option and a healthier drink option like vodka and soda water. One of latest go-to drinks for sipping on the weekends is blended blueberry and chai-tea vodka.

Boil 1 cup of water, place chai tea bag in it, and allow to steep for 4 minutes.

Cool your chai tea and then place in blender.

Add 1/2 cup frozen blueberries and 1 shot of vodka.Blend, add soda water to your liking and enjoy on a hot summer day.

Reaching your goals doesn’t mean living on chicken breast and avoiding social events. Just get smarter with your choices, and remember that moderation is key.

Every Friday I wake up with excitement for the day and for knowing that in a few hours the weekend will start. We do pizza in our house each Friday evening, and I’m constantly trying to reinvent the wheel and get us to try something new. Two Fridays ago, we tried this pizza, and it was a huge hit! I will warn you, though—this pizza is incredible, and you will want to eat the whole thing. Take your serving and wrap up the rest. Otherwise, things could get out of hand.

1 spelt pizza crust

½ teaspoon coconut oil (for topping mixture)

1 tablespoon coconut oil (for spreading on crust)

½ of a cooked yam

1 clove of garlic (or more)

½ of a sweet white onion

Fresh parsley

Veggies of your choice and raw cheese for topping.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pizza stone in oven to warm.

Sauté garlic and onions together in ½ teaspoon coconut oil. Once browned, add cooked yam. Stir together until blended. Spread the 1 tablespoon of coconut oil across the pizza crust, and then spread yam mixture across crust. Once crust is covered, top with your favourite veggies, parsley, and raw cheese. Place in oven until crust is crispy to your liking and enjoy!

Every birthday I like to take some time and reflect upon my personal growth and what really changed my life this year.

Looking back on this year, I can honestly say this has been one of the most challenging and rewarding years of my life. Coming into your own can be an interesting experience filled with tears, laughter, hurt, and learning to let go. I have always struggled with my expectations of people and who I thought they were going to be. When they let me down, hurt me, or forgot me, walls I’d build up from previous hurts would reemerge, ready to block out anything and anyone that would cause pain. I can honestly say that this past year, though, I have let go of expectations and learned just to love people and the moment I’m in. I have forgotten what people should be and loved them for who they are now, I have put my insecurities aside and allowed people to love me, and I have allowed confidence to bloom in my life.

Getting old is not such a bad thing, because you realize along the way who you are, what really matters, and that love is a rare beauty that you don’t want to miss with fear-blinded eyes.

My 30th birthday was the best birthday I have ever had! Thank you to everyone who made that day so special for me. I will never forget the special dance Troy performed, the bird hat, or the laughter that you brought into my day. My heart is full.

My passion and dedication to my work comes from a very personal place. I am determined to see woman freed from the lies and destructive lifestyles that are plaguing them. My goal is for women around the world to reach beyond what they thought they were capable of, live a healthy lifestyle and discover true happiness in their bodies.